More than putting the vehicle into motion Apartheid on the roads
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: June 16 2015 -

Starting or kicking the engine into life, pressing the clutch, pulling the gear and putting the vehicle into motion.

Driving is this and much, much more. Unfortunate it is, but the idea of driving in Manipur has refused to move beyond this.

A look around should more than suffice. Not the first time this has been commented upon and not the last either.

Driving in Imphal or any part of Manipur is no longer a pleasant experience and it is not only about the growing number of vehicles on the road.

It is more about the lack of traffic sense amongst the people behind the wheels.

How many actually acknowledge the important role that traffic islands play in regulating the flow of vehicles ?

Why are the traffic cops out there on the roads of Imphal ?

Why are there traffic rules and regulations ?

What purpose do the one way traffic norms serve ?

Why is there a minimum cut off age before one can claim a driving license ?

These are some questions which come to mind and it is doubtful whether these posers have ever featured in the minds of anyone here. The result is there for all to see.

For all practical purposes all roads here have literally turned into potential killers and the number of deaths in road mishaps must be quite high.

Call it the shortcomings of the newspaper houses here, but so far no systematic analysis on the growing number of road accidents have been conducted.

At the most, most newspapers, including The Sangai Express have remained satisfied with merely covering news at the time of any accident with no in-depth study on why Imphal or Manipur has seen an alarming increase in the number of road accidents.

It does not help too when traffic rules are seen to be made only for the common people.

Traffic rules and regulations obviously do not apply to those who come under the tag of VVIPs and VIPS as well as the uniformed personnel.

This is something which can be easily gauged from the manner in which these class of people violate one way traffic norms with impunity.

Civilians or common people are expected to give the right of way to anyone who come under this tag and the recent drive conducted by this paper, encouraging the readers to submit their thoughts and opinions on the growing culture of VIPsm on the roads of Imphal should testify this.

It is not only one way traffic rules and regulations but anything that has got something to do with easing traffic flow in the crowded areas of Imphal.

No parking zones are meant to be applied only to the common people and this mindset is behind all cases of heavy vehicles parked plum in the middle of commercial areas such as the busy Thangal bazar and Paona bazar.

It is the same case at BT road, Khoyathong and other commercial areas.

Citing some instances to drive home the point that when uniformed personnel and those who occupy positions of power and privileges do not abide by the traffic rules and regulations, then the common people are sure to follow suit.

Rules, particularly traffic rules are meant to be violated, seems to be calling card and the result is there in the confusions on the roads and the increasing number of injuries and at times deaths in road mishaps.

Some sort of apartheid is clearly visible on the roads of Imphal and Manipur.